Players are not machines - Mancini

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini on Friday railed against what he regarded as an over-demanding fixture list, telling England's football authorities that players are not machines.Mancini's ire was provoked by a situation which if his side draw their FA Cup fifth round tie with Aston Villa next Wednesday will result in a replay on March 7, two days after the Blues tackle Wigan in the Premier League at Eastlands and only three before a taxing 2,800 mile round trip to Kiev for the Europa League first leg tie with Dynamo.

Related

Paris (AFP) - Holders Sevilla host a Zenit Saint Petersburg side ripped apart by suspensions in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday.Andre Villas-Boas's Russian league leaders travel to Spain missing no fewer than five first team regulars.

London (AFP) - Leicester boss Nigel Pearson says the start of the Premier League sacking season has not put him under any more pressure as he prepares for Saturday's FA Cup third round tie against managerless Newcastle.

Liverpool and Manchester City are counting on the comforts of home to secure their passage into the Europa League quarter finals on Thursday.Liverpool host Sparta Prague at Anfield with Danish international Daniel Agger predicting a more attacking display after his side's drab 0-0 draw in the round of 32 first leg in Prague last week.City's tie with Aris Salonika is identically poised ahead of the Greek outfit's visit to Eastlands, with Roberto Mancini's men approaching the game in high spirits after their 5-0 FA Cup drubbing of Notts County.

London (AFP) - Despite their new eye-watering multi-billion television rights deal, the blanket failure of Premier League clubs in the Champions League has left England looking like Europe's poor relation.